Cultivating Candy Corn: Your Questions Answered

Not many people are aware of my extensive work with plants. During my horticultural education, candy corn cultivation became a passion of mine. I’ve pursued that passion for most of my adult life.

We’re all friends here, so I’m going to share a little of my knowledge on the topic to help you turn some heads at the upcoming Halloween parties. Pass on what I tell you here and you will be the talk of any gathering.

Photosynthesis, The Key To Everything

Candy Corn creates sugars through photosynthesis. That in itself is not surprising, nor is the fact that it stores those sugars in its fruit. What is remarkable is this particular plant’s efficiency in creating those sugars.

Image via Wikipedia

My research has proven that a candy corn plant creates vegetable sugars at a rate over eight times what we’d expect from a common corn plant. This accounts for the larger sized kernels as well as the difference in texture and flavor from those of traditional corn plants.

In fact, the photosynthesis of a candy corn plant is so efficient that it will produce sugars without the aid of the sun. Placing a photo of the sun near a candy corn plant in a dark room is enough to start the process. Another researcher I know says he has triggered photosynthesis in these plants by simply saying the word sun near a plant in a dark room. I haven’t been able to replicate his result, but that might be because I’m a little soft-spoken.

What About Candy Corn On The Cob?

People challenge my knowledge with the point that they’ve never seen candy corn on the cob. Let me clear something up for any of you who think that way. You haven’t seen your sinuses. That does not mean they aren’t there.

I have seen candy corn on the cob. It is a rare and beautiful sight. The husks are as colorful as the fruit within. It is shaped very much like standard corn. Because the kernels are so much larger, all the other parts of candy corn are larger.

Candy corn on the cob is not available to the public due to the dangers inherent in shucking it.

Candy Corn On The Cob: Don’t Shuck With It

Shucking candy corn is not for amateurs because the husks are thick and sharp. Candy corn husks can inflict a nasty cut. In the old days, it was easy to spot candy corn farmers by the lacerations on their hands and forearms.

The corn silk between the husk and the candy corn is dangerous. It is so fine that it is prone to breaking into pieces that can easily be inhaled. Breathing candy corn silk fragments is the second leading cause of the lung disease, mesothelioma.

Fortunately, modern shucking machines have taken much of the danger out of candy corn production. Because of these machines, some have foreseen the era of people shucking their own candy corn. I don’t see that as a possibility, the machinery is prohibitively expensive.

Knowing when to harvest and shuck candy corn is very precise business. To understand why the timing of the harvest is so critical we must look at the candy corn kernel.

Candy Corn – Rooted in Goodness

When we look at candy corn we see the three colored layers – yellow, orange and white. But did you know that, before shucking, candy corn lacks the yellow layer? Of course you don’t, that is why I’m here. The yellow tint occurs when the kernel is exposed to light as it is shucked.

The yellow and orange layers are where candy corn stores its goodness. They comprise the sweetest part of the kernel.

English: Candy corn. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The small white end is what horticulturists like me call the cob root. This is obviously where the kernel connects to the cob.

The white portion is the best indicator you have as to your candy corn being harvested at the proper time. Harvesting peak of the candy’s succulence is critical. Kernels with the white part still attached tell you that they were harvested at the peak of sweetness. If you find a kernel that has the white part broken away, take it as proof that the kernel was past perfection when harvested. The breakage occurs when the kernel becomes overladen with sweetness and the root can no longer support it. The kernel is beyond ripe at that point and not at its full flavor potential.

Controversies And Developments In Candy Corn

Science and society are working to make everyone’s candy corn experience better. Like those in any other field, some innovations are greeted warmly. Others raise controversy.

Large candy corn processors have begun grinding up their left over cobs and selling the product back to farmers for use as fertilizer for candy corn plants. Environmentalists praise this development as a green way to increase candy corn yields. Food safety advocates say the practice will lead to tragic consequences as surely as feeding cattle the by-products of their dearly departed leads to mad cow disease.

Without giving too much away, I wanted to let you know about an innovation I am working on at my experimental farm – baby candy corn.

Yes, baby candy corn. Similar to the baby corn you find on salad bars and in Chinese Restaurants, baby candy corn will revolutionize the confection farming industry. Imagine the sweet goodness you’ll enjoy as you bite through the corn and cob, enjoying the deliciousness throughout. You can thank me later.

The Candy Corn Cultivation Call Center

Not yet, but someday…(Image via Wikipedia)

I think the more knowledge you give people, the more curious they become. I know after reading this you will have questions. I’m here for you. I have opened the Candy Corn Cultivation Call Center. I like to call it the C5. You don’t have to call it that if you don’t want. All the cool kids do though.

Call any time you have a question about growing candy corn. By call, I mean send them to me in the comment section here. I have not yet made my fortune in candy corn so I haven’t been able to put in a dedicated phone line to handle the expected flood of calls, nor have I been able to hire staff.

I feel that I’ve given you a good conversational knowledge of the field of candy corn cultivation. Share it and I am certain you will be the hit of your upcoming Halloween parties.

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162 Comments on “Cultivating Candy Corn: Your Questions Answered”

My hat is off to you, Sir…if I were more gullible than I am (which is nearly impossible), I would believe every word of your most convincing post (although my knowledge of science would fit neatly on the head of a pin with acres left over!).

Seriously, I now want to be a candy corn farmer. Do I need permission from a government agency? Do I need security for the Candy corn addicts that could raid my crops at any time? These are my questions to you oh great one of the Candy Corn!

In some parts of Virginia, tobacco farmers are being paid off by the goverment to grow candy corn instead of tobacco. The idea is, of course, to increase the cost of tobacco products, but also to jump start the proliferation of candy corn growing. Scientists say that it will eventually replace oil as our #1 means of energy. Honda has already begun development of a car that runs on candy corn fuel.

There isn’t an agency regulating who grows. The problem is getting an in with the packaging companies. I’ll do what I can to help you in that regard. Once they know you can produce your quota on a consistent basis (and I’m sure you will), you’re in.

[…] 7 Oct How I wish I could get my hands on some candy corn in Japan…. Not many people are aware of my extensive work in horticulture. During my horticultural education, the cultivation of candy corn became a particular passion of mine. I've pursued that passion for most of my adult life. We're all friends here, so I'm going to share a little of my knowledge on the topic to help you turn some heads at the upcoming Halloween parties. Pass on what I tell you here and I guarantee you will be the talk of the party. Phot … Read More […]

Candy corn is the whole reason I look forward to the Halloween season. It’s like the Christmas tree at Christmas. Halloween just wouldn’t be the same without those orange, yellow and white little triangular tidbits of sugary delight.

Mr. Candy Corn Man, I do have a question for you. Why are some candy corn orange, brown and white instead of orange, yellow and white? And is it okay to eat these mutant candy corns? I hope so, because I have already ingested mass quantities of these off-color versions of the originals. Will there be any side effects? I wait in great anticipation of your wise answers!

The candy corn with the brown sections is incorrectly called Indian corn by some. This version was first produced by the Aztecs and was originally called Quetzalcoatl Corn, after the feather serpent deity. Unscrupulous marketers renamed it.

While it is OK to eat modern Quetzalcoatl Corn, please do so with the historic knowledge that the Aztecs created the orignal version by cross breeding candy corn and cacao plants.

Wow! No wonder I have an affinity for the Quetzalcoatl Corn–it was created by my great ancestors, the Aztecs! It’s in my genes. Therefore, I simply cannot be held responsible for what I am compelled to consume.

Can you explain why some candy corn that I have tried has a somewhat maple-y flavor? Is it a different breed of candy corn that perhaps has been crossbred with a maple tree? Or maybe it’s been harvested at the wrong time?

Also is there an equivalent “peaches and cream” candy corn subspecies and perhaps ornamental “Indian corn” versions?

It is clear…but do you see attorneys lining up to help candy corn farmers? No! They want glamor, like they get from asbestos.

Anyhow, the kernels don’t decompose due to the waxy protective coating we in the business call the waxy protective coating. The plant naturally secretes this coating to protect the kernel and allow it to propagate the species with new plants following the harsh winter.

At last, someone has approached this subject with sense, sobriety and scholarship. Well done, sir!

Though–I would like to know if you know anything about the variations in color one finds in certain types of candy corn? Some call it “Indian” candy corn, but I wonder if it is a wholly different species of the plant, or merely a abberation from the normal state.

I tragically found out microwaving candy corn results in not popped candy corn, but a dangerously molten mass, capable of inflicting severe burns. Should there be a warning label advising people to not microwave it?

I have pushed for that warning label for years with no luck….gridlock and all. I am glad you recognized the danger before starting to try eating. I’ve seen some horrible burns from microwaved candy corn.

This post is illuminating and while answering many of my candy corn questions, only raises additional questions about the growing, harvesting, and processing of mini candy pumpkins. Perhaps that can be part 2 of your investigation? -David

Very interesting! You forgot to mention that in order to get the most nutrition out of a kernel you must nibble off the white portion first, then chomp the orange portion, and then eat the yellow portion.

When I was a wee lass of 4, an elderly gentleman in church used to shovel candy corn into my mouth… candy corn retrieved not from the safety of a sanitized bag but from the lint-filled recesses of his jacket pocket. I hate candy corn.

Most interesting….. however, candy corn is an abomination surpassed only by Cheetohs,
which I believe is puffed candy corn. Candy corn is, however, more palatable than Goldfish, which I understand is farm raised in Uzbekistan using nuclear power plant waste water.

May I interest you in some phenomenally tasty whole, dried salted minnows? Great source of calcium and very crunchy. Don’t judge them until you see them:

It’s about time someone share the true story of candy corn. I hope you’ve planned a follow-up piece on the candy corn maize that united early Americans and native peoples. Thanksgiving was built on this invaluable crop.

At first reading this article, I was believing you! Then I thought: “Well wait. Candy….Candy doesn’t grow….It’s sugar…..Shit!You tricked me!” heh. I’m a little too gullible with some things. But I must say, if some people don’t know what candy corn was, then they would defiantly believe this… Love it!

Laughing out loud. I feel like I finally understand the Calvin Cycle, and I finally care about it. For the month of October anyway.
And yes, it’s called PHOTO-synthesis for a reason. Not TALK-O-synthesis. But it’s weird that corn has ears and yet it doesn’t respond to audio cues.
And all my life I thought candy corn silk and cotton candy were synonymous.

Never have I seen this important subject treated with such erudition and scholarly discipline. Please consider applying these high standards of intellectual inquiry to such horticultural topics as fruitcake, something which is sorely misunderstood.

It is, but they dont come out well. Drying the corn then grinding it makes for a gritty tortilla. It is a great idea in principle, Greg, but the application doesn’t quite work out as well as we’d hope. Welcome, sir.

I like cornbread, but lately I’ve been feeling that it’s just not sweet enough or multicolored enough for me. Can I just substitute candy corn meal for corn meal in my favorite cornbread recipe? Also, do you know where I can buy candy corn meal? They don’t have it at my local supermarket. Can I just grind up some candy corn in my food processor?

The idea of cooking with candy corn meal is something I am working on in mt test kitchens. Drying it completely and then grinding does produce a candy corn meal, but it is grainy and makes everything you cook it in intensely sweet. The sweetness is so intense that some of my taste testers have injured their tongues. One will require a transplant.

Thank you so much for the info — you may have kept me from making a terrible mistake. I’m ashamed to admit this, but even though I think of myself as a responsible, well-educated adult, I’ve actually never taken the time to read the warning label on a bag of candy corn.

This was an amazing article! Absolutely loved it!! It’s rather refreshing to read an article where Candy Corn is given its due respect in this world!! Candy Corn is one of my favorite things about October/Fall/Halloween!! Since I’m not brave enough to grow my own and not wealthy enough to afford the machines to handle the harvesting, I ran right out the first chance I got this season and bought some!! So I guess my question for you is, can you freeze Candy Corn and it keep it’s original form and the sweetness preserved? I would love to have it year round.

Double-thumbs up to you on this article and Congrats to you for getting Fresh Pressed!!

On your question about freezing, the big issue you’ll have is keeping the delicate flavor from being affected by freezer burn. I’d recommend both freezer burn and waxed paper as part of your candy corn freezing plan.

I adore candy corn. I adore candy corn in the car, in my pockets, in the living room, TV room and beside my bed. I know my affection borders on corny. I try very hard to not eat anything in October that does not include corn syrup.
As always your post was fascinating and I learned so much! Good luck with your future research!

This is a very fascinating piece of research. It is very satisfying to know that researchers of your class still are working on projects such as this. You are a first class humanitarian and your effort should be rewarded. The possibility that with the population density we are facing and the aging of Americans, the world will soon be facing food shortages such as we have never imagined. It may very well be that your candy corn research could be the very thing which prevents world wide starvation.
” Let them eat candy corn” can be the solution….

I am tempted to forward your writing to the President, and would suggest to him that as Commander in Chief of the military, he should consider appointing you to the Army Reserve Corp of Engineers, Put you in charge of worldwide food research and assign you the miliary rank of Kernel.
Thank you for your contribution to humanity. I’ll contact you as soon as I hear from the White House.

I don’t know if you answered this question yet above, but should I worry about the high fructose corn syrup in candy corn? Or is it called “candy corn sugar” now? I don’t think your answer would make me eat less candy corn; I just want to be fully knowledgeable on the topic. You provided enough info here to make people sit up and notice when I expound on this topic.

I love to do the candy corn teeth thing. It’s not attractive but it always gets a laugh.

Are you telling me you are a fan of candy corn? You are fine with candy corn, but you have a strong diversion (okay, hatred) towards pumpkin? *sigh*
I’m not a candy corn fan, but I am a fan of your horticulture skills and knowledge. Impressive!

I have been scrolling for approximately 5 minutes trying to find the end of your comments to ask my question and now I’ve forgotten what it was. Oh, wait. I remember now. Where can one purchase non-GMO candy corn? And what about creamed candy corn? Pop candy corn?

I love candy corn, but the white part indicates peak harvest — seriously? Something tells me this tidbit of information mirrors the saying my dad used to pull on us kids — that a watermelon’s inside really isn’t red until it’s exposed to the air. I was skeptical then, and I’m skeptical now. Probably the same group of researchers!

The nice thing about being a relative latecomer to your blog is there are so many back posts to read. Whole mountain ranges of laundry remain unfolded while I learn about the Jolie Pez project. Loved this. It reminds me of the one candy corn story I have- but maybe I should write about it on my own blog instead of blathering on yours. =)